Category Archives: Journalism

You may have seen it on business-related news programs, but the WSJ now appears to be integrating stock prices into their articles. While reading this article on growing mine worker strikes in South Africa, I noticed that every time a company was mentioned it was followed by a small icon indicating the performance of its stock for that day. You can scroll over these icons to see a somewhat more detailed graph of stock performance alongside a few more stats:

Needless to say, this sort of thing has pernicious effects on journalism, especially labor-related journalism. When you read an article about striking miners and see that their employees’ stock has dropped for the day, that’s probably going to filter your understanding of the events more narrowly through their market effects. Some WSJ readers might already be more disposed to think in these terms anyway, but it’s still not a good trend.

I asked the future leader what I asked all interns as a matter of form, “Eddie, is your hate pure?”

The man who first asked me that question was the late Jim Goode, editor ofPenthouse.

Like Playboy, Penthouse would pay good money for long articles about the corruption of America, thus giving the pointyheads an excuse to thumb through the pinups. Goode, tall and cadaverous, was gay, clad in black leather as he crouched on the floor of his office, gazing morosely at hundreds of photos of bare-breasted women.

As I entered with some screed about corporate and political evil, he’d snarl, “Alex, is your hate pure?” “Yes, Jim, my hate is pure.”

It was a good way of assaying interns. The feisty ones would respond excitedly, “Yes, my hate is pure.” I put the question to Eddie Miliband. He gaped at me in shock like Gussie Fink-Nottle watching one of his newts vanish down the plug hole in his bath. “I…I… don’t hate anyone, Alex,” he stammered.

It’s all you need to know.

(In commemoration of the recent passing of journalist Alexander Cockburn)